Actually Spreadsheet::WriteExcel, Spreadsheet::ParseExcel both run perfectly fine on *nix as well, we use them all the time for $work on Linux and FreeBSD servers.

stvn:

I didn't mean to imply that they run only on Windows. (I've used it for quite some time on Linux.) I suggested them for the Windows section because Excel is a Windows application, and the primary purpose of those packages (at least around here) is to interact with a file format familiar to many Windows users.

...roboticus

Hm, yes cygwin is good to add but even better are the Windows stuff you've added... I expect users of this forum to be more Windows users than *nix. Thanks!

But I have a question about DBI... should I still have links to stuff like DBI or should I keep it to stuff like DBIx::Class instead? Assuming people going through Perl Resources are either new to Perl or haven't done much with it?

Then again it could also very well be people who've ended up in a Perl shop, so maybe I should just add those too... they can go where I have DBIx::Class. And if I have a Databases section (sounds good), what else should be in there?

StommePoes:

I'd definitely keep DBI, as that's what I use. (I intend to try DBIx::Class and others sometime, but haven't had the need to do so yet.) For new users, the more recent packages may be preferable, so you might want to put DBI later in the list, so they can pick up on the newer ones.

As for your question about what else to put in the databases section, I'd probably point them at DBD::SQLite for small database jobs, as it's self contained. Oracle, Access, SQL Server and mySQL seem to get a lot of questions, so it seems worthwhile to point them at appropriate drivers. It may be worth while pointing them at specific perlmonks nodes (e.g. DBI Recipes, tutorial articles and CUFP articles on databases.)

Under your tutorials and articles section, you may want a subsection for "frequently encountered gotchas", like:

• Why it's stupid to `use a variable as a variable name', pt 1
• Why it's stupid to `use a variable as a variable name', pt 2
• Why it's stupid to `use a variable as a variable name', pt 3
• Far More Than Everything You've Ever Wanted to Know about Prototypes in Perl
• Perl Idioms Explained (A page of links to specific idioms...)
• Using Look-ahead and Look-behind (regex goodness)
• Coping with Scoping
• Yes, even you can use CPAN
• And many others ... (I've been grabbing these from my home page, and I'm sure other monks home pages have useful links.

...roboticus

Great list, Coping with Scoping reminded me of Suffering from Buffering... one thing I have to watch out for though is this is (so far) a single sticky thread... although, I could do as the CSS guys did where it did indeed end up a multipage sticky. However many many many more people come to SitePoint asking the same CSS questions over and over again so that makes sense. Since there's maybe one person in the Programming Team with any experience with Perl, I'm probably not going to expect them to pare down what I've got.

However I think these and some of the other tuts can hopefully completely replace the current "Articles and Tutorials" Section... means I may not have to worry about how good those are if I can replace with a list like yours of Known Good Stuff. I've added the general link to Tuts over here and to planetscape's list of links as well.